Continuous feeding mechanism for filling apparatus



16, 1962 c. w. VOGT 3,058,498

CONTINUOUS FEEDING MECHANISM FOR FILLING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 25, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. CLARENCE W V061 I\ M (in MVM 5 ATToR/vyg 1962 c. w. vos'r 3,058,498

CONTINUOUS FEEDING MECHANISM FOR FILLING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 25, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 IN VEN TOR.

4 ATTORNEYJ CLARENCE W V067" C. W. VOGT Oct. 16, 1962 CONTINUOUS FEEDING MECHANISM FOR FILLING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 25, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR CLARENCE IM I/OGT A ATTORNEYJ 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Oct. 16, 1962 c. w. VOGT CONTINUOUS FEEDING MECHANISM FOR FILLING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 25, 1958 A d ATTORNEW C. W. VOGT Oct. 16, 1962 CONTINUOUS FEEDING MECHANISM FOR FILLING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 25, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 T 2 TV m. VW N 5 W (W E I R M am Y B a g B Y 7 4 w 3 B 7 WY AA; ATTORNEW Oct. 16, 1962 c. w. voe'r 3,058,498

CONTINUOUS FEEDING MECHANISM FOR FILLING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 25, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 03 BY E1 This invention relates to the packaging of materials and it relates particularly to apparatus for filling boxes, cartons and other enwrapments with fiowable solid material.

The term flowable solid material as used herein means solid material in the form of powder, grains, particles, kernels, pellets, pieces or the like of uniform or varying size in which the materials may be ground, crystalline, flaky or comminuted and free-flowing or flowable under gaseous pressure.

The apparatus embodying the present invention is an improvement over apparatus disclosed in my copending applications, Serial No. 758,068, filed August 29, 1958, Serial No. 743,041 filed June 19, 1958, Serial No. 594,152 filed June 27, 1956 (now US. patent No. 2,935,233), and Serial No. 713,887 filed February 7, 1958, and ditfers therefrom by the inclusion of the mechanism enabling the apparatus to fill containers substantially continuously.

More particularly, in accordance with the present invention, an apparatus has been provided which has a feeding magazine provided with multiple filling nozzles to which receptacles or containers such as cartons, boxes, bags or the like, can be supplied for filling therefrom and to which material is delivered from a supply hopper substantially continuously and without substantial interruption of the filling operation. Inasmuch as the feed magazine is filled substantially continuously and the flowable solid material in the magazine is continuously subjected to gaseous pressure for discharge to the container or receptacles, much higher filling rates and much higher filling capacity can be achieved than with the prior apparatuses. Moreover, a substantially uniform gas pressure can be maintained in the magazine during filling so that the charges of material of uniform volume and weight are filled into the containers or receptacles.

The new apparatus not only includes means for continuously filling the magazine of the apparatus with flowable solid material but also includes mechanism whereby bridging or hanging of the material in the magazine and valves is avoided and whereby dribbling of the material from the discharge ports of the apparatus is effectively eliminated despite. the presence of substantial or high gas pressure in the discharge magazine.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a typical filling apparatus of the type embodying the present invention, with portions thereof broken away to disclose details of construction;

FIGURE 2 is a view in section taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view in section taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and also illustrating certain control valves therefor schematically;

FIGURE 4 is a view in cross section taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view in cross section of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a view in cross section taken on line- 66 of FIGURE 4 but omitting the nozzle liners;

FIGURES 7 and 8 are schematic illustrations of the re.- lations of the valves in the filling apparatus whereby a substantially continuous filling of the magazines oi the apparatus are achieved; and

taken on line 5-5 tates tet FIGURE 9 is a chart showing the time cycle of operation of the valves during the operation of the apparatus.

The apparatus disclosed herein operates basically on the principles disclosed in my Patent No. 2,935,233 and my applications Serial Nos. 713,887, 743,041 and 758,068. In the apparatus disclosed herein, flowable solid material is introduced into a hopper and is supplied under the control of a valve to a magazine from which the material is discharged by means of gas under pressure into a container or receptacle, the receptacle either being provided with porous filtering media or being associated with a filtering or porous member through which air can escape while the solid material is retained in the receptacle or container. In this way, successive charges of uniform volume and density are introduced into the receptacles or containers.

In the prior devices, the filling operation is interrupted to enable charges of flowable solid material to be transferred from the hopper to the filling magazine. Communication is cut off between the magazine and the hopper while material is being discharged from the magazine into the container or the receptacle.

In accordance with the present invention, material is transferred from the hopper to the magazine and material is discharged from the magazine into containers substantially continuously so that a greatly increased number of containers can be filled in a given period of time.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawing, a typical apparatus embodying the present invention includes a hopper 10 having a pair of downwardly diverging discharge portions 11 and 12, which communicate with the openings 13 and 13a, shown in FIGURES 2, 7 and 8 through the top of valve housings 14 and 15 of the control valves A and X. The control valves A and X are of the type disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 620,531 filed November 5, 1956, now Patent No. 2,985,340. The valve A by way of example, includes a rotary ball valve member 16 having a diametrical passage 17 and an intersecting radial passage 18. Ball valve member 16 is rotatable to a position in which the diametrical passage 17 is in alignment with the opening 13 and a bottom opening 19 in a spring-biased retaining ring 20 which is mounted in the lower end of the valve housing 14. The ball valve member is also rotatable to the position shown in FIGURE 2 in which the diametrical passage extends horizontally and the radial passage 18 is in alignment with the discharge opening 19. The ball is moved between the two: positions mentioned by means of a. rack member 21 supported in a guide plate 22; on a platform or plate 23 on which the. valves A and X are also mounted. Rack 21 meshes with pinion 25 (FIG. 1) to rotate. it and the shaft 24' which is connected. to the ball member 16 and thus: enables it to rotate. Leakage around the ball is prevented by means of a sealing ring 26 carried by the top of the housing 14 and the sealing surfaces. 27 of the retaining ring 20. Air or gas under pressure is admitted into the valve casing through porous filtering discs or plates 28 and 29 formed of sintered porous metal or the like in opposite sides of the valve housing. The filter plates 28- and 29 permit the escape of air while preventing the escape of the flowable solid material therethrough. Valve. X is of similar structure and it oscillated by means of a similar rack 21a and pinion 25a drive.

Directly beneath the valve A is a similar" control valve 13 and directly beneath the valve X is a second control valve Y. As shown in FIGURES l and 2, the valves B and Y are interposed between a pair of supporting plates 23 and 31. One feature in which the valve B and Y differ from valves A and X is that a sealing ring 32 corresponding to the sealing ring 26 is mounted in the lower end of the valve housing 33 and the retaining assume ring 34 is mounted at the upper end of the housing 33. Moreover, instead of a spring member corresponding to the pressure spring 35 of valve A, pneumatic means including a diaphragm 36 and a source of air pressure 37 communicating therewith under the control of a valve 38 are provided for maintaining sealing engagement be tween the ball 39 of valve B, for example, and the sealing rings 34 and 32 when gas pressure is supplied to the values A and B and for releasing the valve B for rotation when the gas pressure supplied to the valves A and B is relieved. The ball member 39 is also rotatable between a position in which the diametrical passage 40 therein is in a vertical position and a position in which the radial passage 41 is in a vertical position and communicating with an opening 42 in the supporting plate 31. Such rotation of the ball member 39 is accomplished by means of a rack 43 and a pinion 44 on a shaft which is connected with the ball 39. A similar rack 45 and pinion 46 also rotate the ball member 47 of the valve Y, as shown in FIGURE 1. Any suitable mechanism for reciprocating the racks 21, 21a, 43 and 45 may be used, such as cams or electric, air or hydraulic motors.

The opening 42 beneath the valve B and a correspond ing opening 49 (FIG. 4) below the valve Y communicate with the upper end of a magazine 50 which includes a generally rectangular housing member 51 bolted or otherwise secured against the lower surface of the supporting plate 31 and having a lower peripheral flange 52 thereon which carries a nozzle member 53 including a pair of generally conical discharge nozzles 54 and 55 having a peripheral flange 56 extending around the nozzle member and having set screws 57 which may be turned in against the member 51 to hold the nozzle member 53 against the lower edge of the member 51. As shown in FIG- URES 3, 4 and 5, the member 51 is provided with a resilient liner 58 formed of flexible rubber, plastic or the like which has its upper edge clamped between the supporting plate 31 and the member 51 and its lower edge clamped between the lower edge of the member 51 and upper surface of the nozzle member 53. Also, the nozzles 54 and 55' are provided with unitary resilient rubber liners 59 and 60 which have their upper periphery gripped between the nozzle member 53 and lower edge of the member 51. Also, the lower ends of the funnellike liners 59 and 60 are provided with narrow tubular portions 61 and 62 which extend through tubular openings 63 and 64 at the lower end of the nozzle housing. In order to maintain the liner-s 59 and 60 in position such that they can flex inwardly and outwardly, ribs 65 and 66 may be formed on the inner surfaces of the nozzles 54 and 55. In this way, gas pressure against the inner surface of the liner 58 and the liners 59 and 60 will cause them to expand whereas pressure against their outer surfaces will cause them to contract. The liner 58 can be expanded and contracted by means of a mechanism like that disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 758,068, filed August 29', 1958. As shown in FIGURES 1, 3, 4 and pairs of rods 67 and 68 are carried by a yoke or frame 69 extending around the collar member 51. Elongated heads 70 and 71 are mounted on the inner ends of the rods and engage the outside of the liner 58. An air motor 72 or its equivalent is connected to the yoke 69 by means of the rod 68' to reciprocate the yoke 69 in a horizontal plane and press the heads 70 and 71 alternately against opposite sides of the liner 58 thereby to deflect it and to dislodge any material clinging thereto. The power required for moving the yoke can be reduced and damage to and wear on the liner 58 can be minimized by maintaining equal pressures on opposite sides of the liner 58. To that end air may be supplied around the outside of the liner 58 through the pipe 58' ('FIGS. 3 and 4) at the same pressure as the gas pressure inside the liner 58.

The liners 59 and 60 can be flexed by introducing air intermittently through a passage 75 between the nozzles 54- and 55 and through the diverging passageways 76 and 77 which communicate with the space between the liners 59 and 60 and the inner walls of the nozzles 54 and 55. By appropriately controlling the introduction of air, that is by introducing air and venting it by means of an appropriate valve, the liners 59 and 60 can be flexed or expanded and contracted at a low or high speed depending upon requirements.

As shown in FIGURES l, 3 and 4, containers C and C are carried on supports 80, 81 which are raised and lowered alternately and moved transversely to enable containers to be placed on the supports and removed therefrom. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 4, one of the containers, for example container C, is raised so that its upper edge engages a sealing gasket 82 fixed to the lower edge of the bottom plate 83 which extends between the nozzle sections 54 and 55. Mounted above the gasket 82 which is carried below nonle 55 is a filter member 84 formed of porous sintered metal or the like which has a central opening 84' communicating with the passage 62, for example, and also with a recess 85 from which air can escape by means of a conduit 86 and a control valve 86a (FIG. 3) to atmosphere. If desired, the valve 86a can also be connected to a source of gas under pressure so that the gas, such as air, can be forced through the porous plate 84 as indicated in FIGURE 3 in order to clean it and to dislodge any material which might adhere to it at the conclusion of a filtering operation. Moreover, the valve 86a may be used to introduce an inert gas into the top of a container, if desired.

Inasmuch as it is desired to fill one container, for example the container C, while another container C is being moved into or out of a position to receive a charge from the magazine section 54, valve means is provided for preventing discharge of material from the nozzle member 54 while material is being discharged from the nozzle member 55.

The tubular portions 61 and 62 of the liners 59 and 69 form parts of the valves in the manner disclosed in my application Serial No. 713,887 filed February 7, 1958. As shown herein, each nozzle member 54, 55 carries an air motor 87 and 88 including a cylinder 89 or 90 having a transverse diaphragm 91 or 92 to which is connected a plunger 93 or 94. The end of the plunger 94, for example, is formed to engage one side of the tubular portion 62 on the liner 60 to squeeze the tubular portion shut or release it depending upon whether air pressure is applied to the back of diaphragm or vented from the cylinder 88 through the pipe 88. As shown in FIGURE 4, air pressure is supplied to the motor 87 while air is vented from the motor 88 so that the tubular portion 61 is squeezed shut while the tubular portion 62 is opened enabling material to be blown into the container C.

An apparatus as described above has a cycle of operations which will be understood more readily by reference to FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings. FIGURE 7, discloses the valves A, B, X and Yin positions corresponding to the left hand half of the timing chart shown in FIGURE 9. Thus, valve A is closed to the hopper 10 and is open to the valve B. The valve B is open to the valve A and to the magazine. Valve X is open to the hopper and to the valve Y while the valve Y is open to the valve X but closed to the magazine 50. The vertically spaced valves A and B, and the valves X and Y form chambers in which material can :be received and trapped or isolated selectively from the hopper or magazine.

With the valves in the positions shown in FIGURE 7, the solenoid valve 90 which is connected to the valve X is open to atmosphere or connected to a source of reduced pressure. likewise, the valve Y is open to a vacuum or to atmosphere through the control valve 91 which is connected to the air pressure line 92 and to a suction line 91' or atmosphere. Value A is open to a source of gas under pressure through its corresponding solenoid valve 93 as is the valve B through its control valve 94 which is connected to the air pressure line 95 and the suction line 96. Under these circumstances, flowable solid material will be fed from the hopper into the valve housings X and Y while at the same time flowable solid material in the valve housings A and B will be blown out of them into the magazine 50. During this blowing operation, one of the tubular portions 61 or 62 will be open while the other will be closed. Flowable solid material will be blown by the gas pressure introduced through valves A and B into a container communicating with the open tubular portion. During blowing, a filled container is withdrawn from engagement with the nozzle portion having a closed tubular portion 61 or 62 therein and is replaced by an empty container. As soon as the material is discharged from the valves A and B, the positions of the valves are changed by means of these corresponding rack and pinion drives to the positions shown in FIGURE 8 and indicated at the right-hand section of the chart shown in FIGURE 9 :so that the valve A is in communication with the valve B and the interior of hopper 10 while valve B is out of communication with the magazine 5% but is in communication with the valve A. The valve X is moved out of communication with the hopper 1t) and into communication with the valve Y while the valve Y communicates with the magazine and the valve X. The blow and suction valves 9% and 93 will be reversed so that gas under pressure is supplied through the valves X and Y to discharge material therefrom into the magazine and to blow material from the magazine into a container below one of the magazine nozzles. At the same time fiowable solid material can be charged by suction or any suitable feeding means, such as screws in the hopper into the valves A and B ready for discharge into the magazine. In this way, a substantially continuous flow of material between the hopper and the magazine is assured and inasmuch as the liners of the magazine and the nozzles are agitated or flexed, a continuous downward feed and a uniform distribution of the material in the magazine 50 is assured. Moreover, the containers can be brought into communication with the discharge nozzles and moved out of communication with little or no interruption in operation so that a substantially continuous filling of containers is assured. It will be understood of course that the timing of the valves at the lower ends of the filling nozzles will be related to the movement of the containers into and out of communication with the filling hoppers but the timing of the valves A, B and X, Y while related to each other need not necessarily be related to the operation of the filling nozzles inasmuch as a substantially constant pressure is maintained within magazine for filling the containers. In this way, charges of uniform volume and density can be introduced rapidly and efiiciently into the containers without loss of filling time.

It will be understood that the invention is susceptible to considerable modification with regard to the size and number of the elements. Thus, more than two filling nozzles may be provided at the lower end of the magazine 50 depending upon the volume of the material to be handled. Accordingly, the form of the invention described herein should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatu s 'for filling receptacles comprising a hopper for receiving flowable solid material, a magazine for receiving said material from said hopper, a dis charge nozzle communicating with said magazine for discharging said material from said magazine, valve mechanism interposed between said hopper and said magazine including two valve units, each unit having a pair of valve elements and a chamber between said valve elements, said valve elements, being movable selectively to a first position for admitting said solid material from said hopper into said chamber and to a second position for discharging said material from said chamber into said magazine, means for moving the elements of said units alternately to said first and second positions, the valve elements of the said one unit being in said second position when the valve elements of the other unit are in said first position, and means for supplying gas under pressure to said chamber when said valve units are in said second position and venting gas from said chamber when said valve units are in said first position.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 comprising valve means for controlling flow of said solid material through said discharge nozzle and means for actuating said valve means to open and close the nozzle alternately.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 in which the pair of valve elements comprise a pair of balls having intersecting diametrical and radial passages, housings rotatably receiving said balls and having aligned inlets and outlets therein, said balls being rotatable to align their diametrical passages and their radial passages alternately with the aligned inlets and outlets, and means for rotating the balls to align the diametrical passage of one ball with the inlets and outlets when the radial passage of the other ball is aligned with the inlets and outlets.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 comprising flexible lining means in said magazine and discharge nozzles and means for flexing said lining means to control flow of solid material through said magazine and nozzles.

5. Apparatus for filling containers comprising a hopper for receiving flowable solid material, a magazine for receiving said material from said hopper, a discharge nozzle communicating with said magazine for discharging said material therefrom, a pair of valve units interposed between said hopper and said magazine for transferring material from said hopper to said magazine, each unit including a housing having a pair of valve chambers therein and a cavity between and connecting said chambers, a valve member mounted rotatably in each chamber, each valve member having a diametrical passage and an intersecting radial passage, means to rotate said valve members to a first position in which the radial passage of one valve member communicates with the hopper through the diametrical passage of the other valve member and all of said passages are out of communication with said magazine, and a second position in which the radial passage of said other valve member communicates with said magazine through the diametrical passage of said one valve member and all of said passages are out of communication with said hopper, means for rotating the valve members of said valve unit to position the valve members of one unit in said first position when the valve members of the other unit are in said second position, and means for supplying gas pressure to said magazine through said valve units when they are in said second position.

6. The apparatus set forth in claim 5 comprising means for producing a reduced pressure in each valve unit when the valve members thereof are in said first position.

7. The apparatus set forth in claim 5 comprising a valve means in said discharge nozzle and means for opening and closing the valve means in said discharge nozzle alternately.

8. The apparatus set forth in claim 7 comprising means for moving members having cavities to be filled with said solid material into and out of filling relation to said nozzles while said valve means are closed.

9. Apparatus for filling receptacles'with comminuted material comprising a magazine, a source of comminuted material, means for maintaining said magazine at a higher gas pressure than at said source, means for withdrawing increments of said material from said source,

means for applying gas pressure to said increments, means for introducing said increments of such material under said applied gas pressure into said magazine, a discharge outlet in said magazine, valve means controlling said discharge outlet, a resilient liner in said magazine, means for flexing said liner to displace said ma terial away from said liner, and in which said valve means comprises a tubular portion of said liner extending into said-outlet, a plunger movable axially in one direction to compress and close said tubular portion and in another direction to allow said tubular portion to open, and means for moving said plunger in said one and said another directions.

10. A method of filling receptacles with comminuted material from a magazine maintained at a gaseous pressure higher than atmospheric pressure which comprises repeatedly withdrawing increments of commiuuted material from a zone of lower gas pressure and introducing said increments alternately into diiferent chambers in communication with said zone and isolated from said magazine, maintaining a gas pressure in said chambers not exceeding the gas pressure in said zone While the zone and chambers are in communication, isolating said chambers from said zone after said increments are introduced into said chambers, increasing the gas pressure on said increments in said chambers to about the pressure in said magazine and introducing them alternately into said magazine, maintaining the pressure in said magazine at said higher pressure and intermittently forcing portions of said material from said magazine by said gaseous pressure into successive receptacles in a zone at a lower pressure than that maintained in said magazine while venting gas from said receptacles.

11. A method of supplying flowable solid material to a magazine maintained under gaseous pressure substantially higher than atmospheric pressure from which portions of said material are discharged intermittently by said gaseous pressure to fill containers in a zone of lower pressure, said method comprising the steps of discharging a flowable solid material from a source of said material into a chamber connected to said source and said magazine, said material at said source being under less gaseous pressure than that maintained in said magazine, disconnecting said chamber from said magazine While material is being discharged into said chamber from said source, maintaining in said chamber gaseous pressure not substantially exceeding the pressure at said source during discharge of said material into said chamber, disconnecting said chamber from said source, thereafter increasing the gaseous pressure in said chamber to at least the pressure maintained in said magazine, connecting said chamber to said magazine to discharge said material in said chamber into said magazine, disconnecting said chamber from said magazine, reducing the pressure in said chamber to not substantially in excess of the pressure at said source, connecting said chamber to said source and repeating the preceding steps to maintain a supply of said material in said magazine.

12. Apparatus for filling receptacles with flowable solid material comprising a source of flowable solid material, a magazine for receiving said flowable solid material, said magazine having a discharge outlet, means for opening and closing said outlet, means for maintaining a gas pressure in said magazine higher than atmospheric and higher than the gas pressure at said source to discharge portions of said material through said outlet into a receptacle in a zone at lower pressure when said outlet is open, a transfer unit between said source and said magazine having a pair of valves and an interposed chamber, means for introducing gas under pressure into and discharging gas from said chamber, filter means retaining said material in said chamber while gas is being discharged therefrom, and means for actuating said valves and said means for introducing and discharging gas in timed relation in the following cycle; disconnect said chamber from said source and said magazine, discharge gas from said chamber to reduce its pressure to not in excess of the pressure at said source, connect said chamber to said source to introduce said material into said chamber, disconnect said chamber from said source, introduce gas under pressure into said chamber to increase the pressure therein to substantially the pressure in said magazine, connect said chamber to said magazine to discharge said material from said chamber into said magazine; and repeating said cycle to maintain a supply of said solid material in said magazine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,543,716 McCue June 30, 1925 1,593,308 McCue July 20, 1926 2,138,356 Ryan et al. Nov. 29, 1938 2,611,938 Hanseberg Sept. 30, 1952 2,642,215 Carter June 16, 1953 2,660,394 Skeuse et al. Nov. 24, 1953 2,720,375 Carter Oct. 11, 1955 2,761,605 Pahl et a1 Sept. 4, 1956 2,817,461 Gilberty Dec. 24, 1957 

